Postal Service launches Star Trek Forever stamps

By Matt Faye | September 2, 2016 at 7:00 pmUPDATED: September 2, 2016 at 8:00 pm

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Postal Service.)

The hit television series Star Trek has been the motivation for many collector’s items since the show’s debut in 1966.

Almost 50 years to the day of the iconic television program’s release, the United States Postal Service has launched Star Trek Forever stamps in more than 31,000 post offices nationwide.

The stamp was officially dedicated on Friday at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

“The Postal Service is proud to commemorate Star Trek on the eve of its 50th anniversary,” postmaster General Megan J. Brennan said in a press release. “Star Trek’s intricate futuristic setting, multicultural cast and story lines touched on social issues and pushed past the boundaries of popular science fiction, becoming a worldwide phenomenon.”

Forever stamps are good for mailing 1 ounce, first-class letters. The stamps will “live long and prosper,” as they’ll be good to mail a letter at any time in the future.

The stamps showcase four illustrations inspired by the show: The Starship Enterprise inside a Starfleet insignia, the silhouette of a crewman in a transporter, the silhouette of the Enterprise, and the Vulcan salute.

Designs for the stamps were created by the Head of State design firm in Philadelphia under the art direction of Antonio Alcala.

Actor Walter Koenig, who portrayed U.S.S. Enterprise’s navigation officer Pavel Chekov in the series, joined Brennan for the dedication of the stamps on Friday.

“With the chaos in today’s world, hopefully the stamps and what they signify can inspire a better future for us all,” he said in a press release.

The postal service previously released a Star Trek stamp in 1999 as part of its Celebrate The Century campaign.